A new alkaloid and other anti-implantation principles from Tabernaemontanaheyneana

A new alkaloid designated as ervatine, in addition to seven known alkaloids , viz. tabersonine, coronaridine, heyneanine, voacristine, voacristine hydr oxyindolenine, hydroxyibogamine, and coronaridine hydroxyindolenine, were i solated from the fruit of Tabernaemontana heyneana Wall. Characterisation a nd structure elucidation of these compounds was made on the basis of their spectral analyses. The ethanolic extract and isolated alkaloids heyneanine and voacristine prevented pregnancy when administered during the preimplant ation period in Sprague-Dawley rats. These were, however, found to possess significant uterotrophic activity.